MARDISTAN (MACHOLAND)

Mardistan (Macholand)

2 January 2015 05:00PM

Mardistan (Macholand) is an exploration of Indian manhood articulated through the voices of four men from different generations and backgrounds. A middle-aged writer trying to make sense of the physical and sexual abuse he witnessed studying in an elite military academy, a Sikh father of twin daughters resisting the pressure to produce a son, a young 20-year-old college student looking for a girlfriend with whom he can lose his virginity and a working-class gay activist coming out to his wife after twenty years of marriage.

Together, their stories make up different dimensions of what it means to be a man in India today. The film starts a conversation on critical issues including patriarchy, son preference, sexual violence and homophobia in a nation increasingly defined by social inequalities.

This was the first public screening of the film. Director Harjant Gill was present at the screening to engage with the audience.

About the FilmmakerHarjant Gill is a professor of anthropology and cultural studies at Towson University, Maryland. He received his PhD from American University in Washington DC. His academic research examines the intersections of masculinity, modernity and migration in India. Dr. Gill is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker and has directed and produced several films. His previous documentary, Roots of Love explored the changing significance of hair and turban among Sikhs. He is currently also the co-director of Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival.